Research 101: a.k.a. Learning to Kill (on paper!) by Allison Brennan

Jenn McKinlay: Last week I had the very good fortune to sign books at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore with the extremely talented Allison Brennan. Of course, I asked her to visit us and she very graciously agreed. So here she is to talk about the warm and fuzzy topic of writing what we know or rather what we don't know.

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Allison Brennan: Later this year, I’m presenting a workshop titled How Can I Write What I Know When I Haven’t Killed a Man?

It’s a fair question. Especially when writers are constantly told: “Write what you know.”

Well, if I only wrote what I knew? My books would be mind-numbingly dull. I’m a mom. A daughter. A wife. You know—like millions of women. I once worked in the California State Legislature, which sounds more exciting than it was. (Spoiler: it wasn’t.) I went to a college prep high school, dropped out of college after two years, and my first job was at a bookstore, where I had to prove I could alphabetize and make change. I've also been a bartender, admin, hostess, a waitress for roughly two minutes (I was terrible), and spent a summer at Marine World learning how carnival games work—yet still couldn’t win a single one.

 The truth is: if you're writing crime, thrillers, or suspense, you cannot rely on television for research. Just because a fictional FBI agent tracks a suspect cross-country doesn’t mean the real FBI lets agents hopscotch around the country like Jason Bourne on a road trip. (Yes, I made that mistake once.)

 Some authors do write from specialized experience—doctors writing about doctors, veterans writing military thrillers. It adds a layer of authenticity that’s hard to fake. Tess Gerritsen made Maura Isles come alive with her medical background. John Grisham nails courtroom drama. Tom Clancy practically was a submarine. And Jack Carr? Real-deal Navy SEAL turned bestselling author.

 But here’s the thing: Tess had never been a cop, and she still gave us Jane Rizzoli. Lisa Gardner has never been a man, but writes in the male POV quite well. And I’m reasonably certain Gregg Hurwitz has never moonlighted as a government assassin. (But if he has...I take it back. Great job. Very convincing.)

 So no, I’ve never killed a man. But I have a vivid imagination. And if I can picture it? I can write it.

 And I’ve pictured some very fun, er, interesting, um, diabolical … well, let’s just say my husband definitely doesn’t want to get on my bad side,

 Let me introduce you to my best friend: The Book of Poisons. That book has helped me off more characters than I care to count.

 Back when I was writing my second novel—my debut wasn’t even published yet—I needed to figure out how to sabotage a car so it would break down after only a few miles of driving. This was before Google answered all of life’s weirdest questions. So I called mechanics in my town.

 “Hi, I’m Allison Brennan. I’m writing a novel. What could I put in a car’s gas tank to make it stall a few miles down the road?”

 Shockingly, no one answered my question. Instead, they hung up. I suppose I’m lucky they didn’t call the cops.

 Desperate, I brought it up at my niece’s baptism (as one does), and my brother-in-law said, “Hey, my buddy’s a mechanic. Let me grab him.”

 Five minutes later, I’m pitching this mechanic my scene, explaining that sugar doesn’t quite work unless the gas is low. He nods and says, “You want to clog the fuel filter. That’ll do it.”

 We brainstorm. He suggests molasses—heavy, slow, perfect for settling at the bottom of the tank and causing problems right on cue. Boom. Sabotaged car. Kidnapping scene secured.

 Perfect.

 Since then, I’ve:

 * Observed an autopsy.

* Played both hostage and bad guy during FBI SWAT training.

* Toured Quantico.

* Done countless ride-alongs.

* Interviewed experts about everything from blood spatter to bomb tech.

 All to make my stories more authentic—even if I’m still making stuff up for a living.

 My latest book, Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds, is my 49th novel. It’s a little lighter than my usual thrillers (read: fewer corpses, no blood), but the research was still essential—especially since I’d never been to the Caribbean.

 In the first draft, I had my characters taking a hot air balloon ride. Very romantic. Except... there are no hot air balloons on Caribbean islands. At all. I researched how they work, and realized there’s a very good, very scientific reason they’re not floating around out there. I’ve since forgotten what it is—but the balloons had to go.

 Then there’s the fictional island of St. Claire, where my protagonist Mia Crawford is sent on a mandatory vacation. I made a rough map to help with continuity. Then midway through the book, I hit a problem: a scene required Mia to hike from point A to point B, but there was no path. I panicked. My entire mountain-trekking sequence was ruined.

 Until I remembered: St. Claire isn’t real. I made it up. I can put a path anywhere I want.

 Waterfall too far north? Slide it south. Boom. Problem solved. Magic of fiction.

 Now, I have made mistakes. Some on purpose, for the sake of the story. Others? Honest goofs. Like the nurse who emailed me to say she threw my book across the room because I miscalculated a Valium dose by about... 500%. Whoops.

 The thing is, we don’t know what we don’t know. That’s why research matters. But I try not to let my research show. It should be invisible. Seamless. If readers are too busy noticing my fun and clever facts, they’re not fully immersed in my story.

 My rule of thumb? Willing suspension of disbelief.

 If the characters are compelling and the story is gripping, readers will go along for the ride—even if a detail is a little off.

 That said… if I were to plan a murder, I’d want to do it right.

 I mean, I’d want my characters to get away with it. Definitely just my characters. Wink wink. (Ha! Just kidding! In case the NSA or someone is reading this …)

So tell me: Do you appreciate when authors get the research right? And are you willing to overlook a few missteps if the story's too good to put down?

 

Allison Brennan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author best known for her Quinn & Costa FBI thrillers and the Lucy Kincaid series. She lives in Arizona with her family and assorted pets. Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds is her 49th novel.